James Pearson repeats Harder, Faster while Caroline Ciavaldini repeats Gaia at Black Rocks

Two of Britain’s fiercest gritstone trad climbs, Harder, Faster and Gaia at Black Rocks, were repeated last week in the Peak District by the husband and wife team James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini.

Gaia climbs the obvious hanging groove before breaking out right across tenuous moves and was famously first ascended by Johnny Dawes in 1986. It shot to fame after featuring in the harrowing opening scenes of the cult climbing video Hard Grit with Frenchman Jean Mihn Trin-Thieu falling from the crux, and although due to the rise in standards and headpoint tactics it has  seen numerous repeats by male climbers since, Ciavaldini’s is only the third female ascent after America’s Lisa Rands bit the bullet in 2006, followed by local Katy Whittaker in 2013.

Where Gaia breaks out boldy right, Harder, Faster continues directly to an utterly run-out, powerful yet also delicate sloper crux, from which a slip would no doubt result in a life-threatening groundfall. The line was established in a moment of pure inspiration by Charlie Woodburn in November 2000 and has only been repeated once since, in 2003 by the late Australian Lucky Chance (formerly Toby Benham). Harder, Faster is considered one of the most dangerous and least repeated trad climbs in the country and Pearson’s ascent further consolidates his place among the very best British trad climbers of all-time.

More info to follow in due course. In the meantime check out the video of Mike Weeks attempting to repeat the line in 2001.

With La Sportiva